Her Majesty Molten Ice was in the same position as Princess Cadance and Twilight Velvet. Sipping tea in the kitchen with their children giving them as much advice as they could. But Cadance had a question. She set down her cup on the glass table and asked, "So... Did you take my advice?"
Twilight nearly spat out her water, but chose to cough it up instead, shocking Twilight Velvet. Turning to Cadance in surprise, Velvet asked, "What are you talking about?"
With a smile, Cadance shrugged and answered, "I gave her advice on how to please a stallion in bed. I wonder if she had to use it."
Arcadia quickly shook her head and answered, "No, and please don't ask that question in front of mom of all ponies!"
"Ohhh, dear," Twilight Velvet cooed. "I did the same thing to your brother for Cady. There's nothing wrong—"
"Anyway," Arcadia interrupted. "I asked for parenting advice, not sexual advice. Help me out!"
Cadance and Twilight Velvet shared a look. Then turned to Twilight and answered at the same time, "Patience."
Cadance added, matter-of-factly, "A foal requires plenty of patience. To learn about them, you must have patience."
"To get them to go to sleep, you must have patience," Velvet suggested. "And to raise them at all, you must have patience. Look at your brother. He's the symbol of patience. And your niece, Flurry Heart. But you don't have to worry about parenting advice until you're about to go into labor."
Cadance set down her cup when she remembered something important. "Speaking of Flurry, there's something about her that's concerning both me and her father. Since you're the mage in magic, maybe you can shed a little light on this. Flurry!! Come here please!! You'll never believe what happened after we came back home on the final day of your contests. Have you made a choice yet on the designers?"
Arcadia nodded and answered, "Madun and I agreed on Pestel. Her shapes are what we need in the Grand Stadium. Her colors will also be included to mix with our own." Before anyone could respond, a tiny rapping of hoofsteps tip-tapped into the room.
"Yes, mom? Hey, Aunt Twilight! Look at my new wings!" Arcadia turned to the doorway and slowly gawked. Flurry looked like Flurry, but... Her wings had grown. Long. Not as long as her own, but larger than an average Pegasi foal's. They were going past her tail and looked similar to a small foal's in Psera.
Cadance turned to Twilight who was still gawking and asked, "Perhaps you can explain?"
Twilight slowly shook her head, "I... I have no idea. Flurry isn't a Pseratep, she shouldn't be able to get magic like that! Not to mention, neither should I. This opens up a whole new investigation. But it'll have to wait until after the wedding and maybe after everything else. Me looking into it will take up a lot of time and study. And I don't want to stress out over it because... Oh, Flurry! Guess what?"
Flurry jumped up and quickly made her way over. "What, what, tell me! Oh!" She jumped up onto the seat next to her aunt and asked excitedly, "Is Dad gonna be a real king? Finally!"
"Er..... Y-You're going to have a cousin! A little baby cousin!" Arcadia responded, trying to divert that conversation somewhere else.
Flurry gasped as if she was in fear for a long moment, then leaned in and asked, "How?"
After getting the press like Arcadia requested on their hooves, Gardeen gathered her own belongings and returned back to her own office in the Royal Suite. Once she became Lady Arcadia's Personal Assistant, she was given her own personal office space. Being an assistant was actually harder than it looked.
Lady Arcadia had papers to sign which she herself had to organize, read to gather an understanding in case Lady Arcadia herself needed any help, which was really rare. She practically knew all the words in their language. But Gardeen never wanted to half-flank something. So she had to do things of that nature. As well as run all around Psera as official Secretary to Royalty, underneath Lady Arcadia when she was given the title. She was given respect on the same line of anyone else in the Executive Offices.
When she turned the corner onto the offices hall, she saw the last pony she expected to see in the Royal Suite in front of her double office doors. "Light Pink?" She called.
Light Pink was looking at something on her hooves when Gardeen made herself known. She nearly jumped out of her light pink coat when Gardeen spoke and reverted back to her shy personality. "Oh, hey," she greeted quietly.
"Hey." Gardeen stopped in front of her office door and pulled out her key. But kept her eyes on this sudden visitor. While unlocking them, she asked through the gold in her mouth, "Can I help you with something?"
"Uh... W-well I see you're busy now so it really doesn't matter anymore."
Finally getting the door opened, Gardeen responded, "Nonsense, I was actually just gathering my office supplies and dropping them off. Not much is planned for today except that Arcadia suddenly asked me to get the press for some exciting news. But it wasn't about the wedding. I wonder what for, she's been acting strange all week during the contests. The most she's really needed me for is to gather wedding details and pass them out. The ruling of Psera is in King Madun's hooves. She's just handling the wedding."
"Oh! Well... Th-that's something," Pink responded.
Gardeen walked in and slid her saddlebags off her back onto the dark brown carpeted floor. Then reached in to begin unpacking. "Yep! I think she's in Equestria right now though handling some business or something, I don't know. I'll know when she returns. I'm just dropping this stuff off, and I'm heading back home. If you want, you can tell me what it is you needed."
Gardeen knew Light Pink was really quiet about voicing things on her mind. She usually had to be coerced. Light Pink hummed and answered, "I was wondering if you'd.... I-If you'd like to go for lunch or something today... Or tomorrow... Or any other day... If you want to."
Did Light Pink just ask me out on a date? Gardeen spun around and asked, "Are you sure? You seem really nervous about it."
Light Pink hummed again for a moment. Definitely asking me out, Gardeen thought. Coming to a decision, Light Pink finally nodded. "Yes, I am sure!" She said a little too assertive. Gardeen jumped a little, forcing Light to backpedal. "Oh... Sorry," she apologized almost silently. Jeez, it sounded almost like it was in a routine. "But... Th-There's a nice lunch place by the PDS."
"Yeah, the burger and Ice Cream shop, I know it," Gardeen added. "Pretty suave place. I usually go there because it's right across the street from the library. But hey! Yeah sure, we can have lunch. What day?"
"A-Anytime you're available, if that's okay."
Gardeen grabbed her empty saddlebags and placed them on a rack on the side. For easy grabs. "How about Brunch today, eleven? But be warned. If Arcadia returns and requests my presence, I have to leave immediately. So I'm bringing my comm and badge." Gardeen walked behind her desk and rummaged around.
Taking this time as the right moment, Light Pink took it to look around. The office had a large wooden desk on the left side of the room and a glass dining table on the right. There were photos on her desk of who she guessed were family. But they didn't look like her at all. She wasn't going to ask her about it, although very curious. Gardeen popped back up with a string around her neck that held a badge on the end bearing the symbol of Psera on the top, and Arcadia's cutie mark on the bottom.
While she made her way over, Light Pink asked, "What is that anyway? The star?" She nudged the bottom of Gardeen's badge with her hoof when she reached her.
Gardeen lifted her badge and stared at it. An eight pointed star with a few more around it. She answered, "Lady Arcadia called it a Cutie Mark. Apparently, everyone born a pony in the land of Equestria automatically gets them when they're foals. She said it happens after you discover your special talent. Hers was technically a sudden physical burst in magical output that turned her parents into plants. Her words exactly. You ready?"
Light Pink nodded. Then the two walked out the door through the other secretaries and executives. Making casual conversation as they moved.
The Elite Guard stationed themselves around certain parts of the castle in the Crystal Empire, leaving four of them with Lady Arcadia herself. She had Spike on her back just for old times sake as the Princesses and friends led her to an underground room. Where they were supposedly holding the surplus of gems that Psera called for. While they moved, Rarity was completely entranced—no, bewildered by the fact that Twilight, the pony who loved books over everything... Was pregnant. It was surreal... Unnatural.
"Excuse me, Twilight," she called from behind her. "But I have to say I cannot even imagine you being... Pregnant. Let alone going through... Coitus."
Rainbow nodded from above and muttered, "Seriously."
"But I'm a mare," Twilight responded. "It's natural that I have urges. And Madun's a stallion. A big... Strong... Stallion. So he has big urges too." Cadance snickered with the other mares while Shining and the Elite Guard were groaning.
Shining poked into the Elite Guard's space and whispered, "I hope my sister's in safe hooves?"
One Guard nodded and answered, "If the Pseratopian Guard doesn't get an offender, and the Elite can't get them... Princess Merry Fire definitely will. Better hope to Narmeelah that she doesn't. Is this the location?" He pointed towards the double steel doors a little ways in front of them guarded by twelve of the Crystal Empire's guards.
Shining nodded and answered, "Yes it is. Open the doors!"
Two guards saluted and proceeded to unlock and pull them open. Groaning from the weight. Before they parted all the way, one Elite Guard raised his comm unit to his mouth and pinged, "Shimmering Star to Castle. We're entering the diamond cave." He lowered his Comm and asked, "Is it dark inside?"
Cadance shrugged and answered, "A little."
The four reached up and flipped down a pair of goggles. Then pressed a button on the sides that caused small green lights to outline the lenses. Nearly unnoticeable. Afterwards, they darted past the doors and inside first. Deciding to take this one, Arcadia explained, "Night vision. To help see in the dark." Then walked in behind them.
It was indeed a little dark. And chilly. But that didn't deter Lady Arcadia as she walked in behind her security detail that set themselves in a three sixty radius around her. They were on a long steel overhead walkway, way above a mountain of gems. But that was only one. There were so many more, highlighted by small lights above. The underground cavern was made entirely out of underground stone.
Arcadia gasped slightly at the haul of sparkling colors. Celestia poked in and stated, "Over ten million gems at your request, Lady Arcadia."
"Amazing," she fawned in awe. Without taking her eyes off the multiple colors down below, she stated, "I must speak with my ponies to find a way to get it over to Psera. With me being pregnant, I do not want to go through any stress, and neither would Madun want me to, or his family. Or even my own family."
"That's right," Twilight Velvet and Night Light stated together in stern voices.
"So we must find another way to get that huge block here. Hopefully S3 has recommendations. Speaking of..." She turned around and asked, "What's the news?"
Sunset cleared her throat and began to give her report. "S3 has come up with a plan to move the winds and agent out from Equestria's air. Pegasi. All they need to do is fly quickly towards the north for a few hours to push it outwards. Bright Gold has more details on it." While they were speaking, the rest of Lady Arcadia's Elite guard walked into the area, stationing themselves on the sides.
While they saluted, Arcadia nodded and replied, "Then I'll have to visit S3 to get a better understanding. We'll go right after this."
Luna leaned in and answered, "Do you still have the steel?"
Arcadia turned to her guards, who in turn looked back. Then they all began laughing once again. The last time they asked that, the Royalty began laughing. This time it was making Equestria feel a little bit more awkward. Arcadia took a few deep breaths to calm her breathing than answered, "I'm sorry for laughing. But it's such a ridiculous question in Psera. To answer it, yes. We have more than enough for Equestria. Like how you have more than enough gems for Psera." Arcadia turned around and walked towards the door, followed briefly by her guards. "Now let's get to Ponyville. I have a feeling I'm in for a surprise." Arcadia lit her horn and conjured a violet portal that the Elite Guard walked through first, followed by Lady Arcadia then everyone else, setting hoof into Ponyville once again.
Just like last time, it was full of tents, nurses on the sides, and angry scowls from the ponies nearby watching them. Apparently, Pserateps weren't welcome in Equestria. Sending a bad feeling down the Elite Guard's back. They kept a firm perimeter around Arcadia while they prepared themselves. Taking everyone except Lady Arcadia off guard, they pressed another button on their suits that activated the barrels on their sides. They rolled and had light green lasers pointing out, piercing through the dirty haze and onto a few of the seemingly angry ponies' foreheads.
Celestia and everyone else froze before they even moved. The Sergeant waved his hoof forward and quickly escorted the group through the tense faces of Equestrians. While the ones up front had their blades up, those in the rear had their blades up and cannons ready. Keeping a watchful eye on the Equestrians.
While they moved, Celestia asked Arcadia, "Is that really necessary?"
Arcadia shrugged and answered, "I just let them do how they were trained. If it assures me and my baby's safety then I have no problem with it. That and I literally can't do anything about it."
Sunset pointed and retorted loudly, "There is a laser on Ms. Cheerilee's forehead." Arcadia followed Sunset's hoof, eyeing Ms. Cheerilee shivering in a frozen state with a green dot on her face while they moved past.
"If she doesn't approach with aggression, she's fine," Arcadia responded. "The Elite Guard take everything incredibly serious and are trained to intimidate first. So what they are doing right now is a warning. Not the real deal. When they show aggressive behavior then that's when everything else kicks in... And the Elite actually begin to kick."
After a few more moments, the group was safely in front of the S3 mobile facility. Steeled up and blank of activity. It seemed empty right now, but there was definitely another pony in there. All guards were to be stationed at the front. And four of them were.
One Pseratep saluted and announced, "Lady Arcadia approaches! Hello, your highness." He and the other three bowed deeply in front of her when they stopped.
"Hello, Pserateps," she greeted. "Is Bright Gold around?" Gold. That's what Cadance forgot to mention to Celestia! She has to tell them about what she learned in Psera during the contests.
The door to the facility opened up, cutting off the rest of Cadance's thoughts. Bright Gold walked out wearing a white coat with the label S3 on the right side, holding a clipboard. She bowed in front of Arcadia and greeted, "Good morning, your highness. How were the contests?"
Arcadia smiled and responded, "Wonderful. But now we have even better news. Are you ready for it, you would actually be the first Pseratep I told this to." Bright Gold smiled and waved her on. "I'm... Pregnant."
Gold didn't move with unreadable eyes on Arcadia. "...you're joking," she whispered after a few tense seconds.
"Nope."
"You're pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Madun and I had a test done this morning."
"Using the Cube?"
"Yes, the cube. They take your blood and put it in a glass box, correct?"
"Yes."
"It turned blue, I'm pregnant."
Bright Gold didn't even breath. "...oh my Narmeelah," she whispered. Then dropped the clipboard and gave Arcadia the biggest hug she could manage. "Oooo, you're going to be a mommy!!" She cheered. "And a wife, and a queen!"
Arcadia laughed nervously and responded, "Yeah, I'm trying not to stress out about it."
Bright Gold laughed and pulled back. Then waved a hoof in her direction and replied, "Oh, you'll be fine. Let me tell you a secret. Everyone in the royal Family has had a hoof in raising children. Even your fiance, believe it or not. Now you didn't hear this from me, but Merry used to be a foalsitter."
Now that was news to Arcadia's ears. Raising a hoof off the ground, she leaned in and asked, "Wait, seriously?"
Bright eagerly nodded. "Yes. If there's anypony that has to worry about raising a foal at all in the Royal family by this point it's his highness Madun. But I have a feeling you'll help out. Now I take it you're here to get an update?" Arcadia nodded while Bright Gold picked up her clipboard and flipped to a certain page. "As you know, the chemical in the air corrodes metal at an enhanced rate after being activated by extreme temperatures. However, the process freezes after it is placed in temperatures below twenty degrees Fahrenheit. So with that in mind, we decided we don't need to create an antibody to take it out. We just need to push it into the cold region.
"As you can tell, it's winter in Equestria right now, as well as in Psera. New year's coming up, so we all want to get out of here and back to Psera for the Skybomb, the Massive firework. The first one you'll ever get to see. So we asked Princess Celestia if we can borrow a handful of Pegasi here in Equestria to have them fly towards the north." Bright Gold pointed towards the direction of the Crystal Empire. "The process will work like our cannon at Eventa's Code Black hallway. It will work like a Vacuum and push all the air out. It will take a day out at least. We were thinking a hurricane, but there's too much dirt, debris, and exposed ponies for that. So we'll just have to do it the hard way. And not the harder way, which is to create the antibody."
Sunset stepped in and asked, "How exactly would the Antibody work in the air?"
"We make rain," she responded. "We put the antibody in the water, mix it in, evaporate it to create the clouds, then make it rain. Boom. But that would take two to three weeks. We don't have two to three weeks, nor do we want two to three weeks. We want now. So tomorrow, we're pushing the Pegasi to fly all day. Princess Celestia? If you could prepare for a very windy day tomorrow and let all the Pegasi here know, it would be very much appreciated."
Celestia smiled and eagerly nodded. "Consider it done."
Bright Gold nodded and responded, "Great. Now I take it Lady Arcadia's going to break the news to the rest of Psera? It's pretty grand to me."
Arcadia grinned and replied, "Yes I am. Are you coming back to Psera today?"
"Well since we've already isolated the issue as well as a solution, we have nothing to really do until tomorrow. But if I am correct, and since you are really smart, you don't wish to put any stress on your body until the baby's born. Which means we'll have trouble getting that block of steel over here."
"And that is why you're my second in command," Arcadia pointed out. "Something's telling me you have a solution?"
"The entire Facility has a big solution. The details are in Psera. I'll gather the others and we'll talk once we return."
Quiet piano music was pretty much the only sound that stuck out among the cafe filled with laughing and surprised Pserateps. The floor had a checkerboard pattern and the tables were all by open windows. Just like Gardeen stated, there was a grand library across the street that she was motioning to sipping on her own Sundae, deep in a conversation with Light Pink, the latter listening intently to her every word.
"...so I flew all the way from Cop to Fenix to deliver the message," Gardeen recalled from across. "It was a windy day so I had to be careful. Flying fast in high winds can cause a wipe out."
Light Pink let the straw slip from her mouth and graced Gardeen with a smile. "At least you're safe. You seem to take your job very seriously."
Gardeen sat back and sighed. Then replied, "When Arcadia sends a message then it's very important. Most of the time a secretary in that department would send it. If that doesn't work, then it gets bumped up to an administration level. Then if that doesn't work, then Royalty takes over."
"Ohhh," Light Pink fawned. "Okay. I was never behind on taxes, so I never knew that."
"Yeah, it gets pretty intense."
Before the conversation could continue, the display screen above the counter changed from a sitcom of some sort that no one was watching to the Royal Crest blaring a high pitched whine. Everyone in Cop and across the country stopped what they were doing and trotted to a nearby television as the signal blared across every city-state through the PDS. After ten seconds the Crest of Psera slid to the side, revealing King Madun, Her Majesty Molten Ice, Merry Fire and Blazing Fire, and Lady Arcadia in the middle.
"Hello, everypony," Arcadia greeted, reverting to her Equestrian tongue. "Firstly, we want to thank everypony for helping us complete the contests in Eventa this week. Madun and I still have yet to come to a decision regarding the art and baking positions, but have come to a decision for the Grand Stadium's Designer." All the Pserateps began muttering on this bit of news. "All of that information will be revealed later on this week after New Year's. As you all know, Psera has been in contact with Equestria, who have been suffering through a metal shortage that is incredibly similar to what has occurred here in Psera before I arrived. Just without a giant bear. I am proud to say that our agreement will soon come to fruition. Eleven thousand metric tons of steel in exchange for gems. This morning, I visited Equestria and am happy to say there are more than two boatloads of gems ready for transport back to Psera."
Many Pserateps clapped and stomped their hooves all over the country, including in the ice cream shop. Gardeen and Light Pink calmed themselves with everyone else before she continued. The Royals usually stop speaking for four seconds. King Madun smiled and took over. "Now this upcoming year, Psera has a new reason to celebrate besides the marriage between Lady Arcadia and myself, and her coronation as Queen. Two new ponies will be introduced in the future into... The Royal Family." Pserateps all over the country began muttering at once, trying to understand.
Gardeen turned to Pink with a questioning look, who only shrugged in response. Her Majesty Molten Ice cleared her throat and stated, "As of last week and this very morning, it was decreed that my daughter Princess Merry Fire, and my future Daughter-in-law Lady in Waiting Arcadia Nova... Are in the midst of carrying a foal." The technicians behind the camera's and microphones slowly glanced up at them.
Gardeen's mind was broken while everypony began speaking at once inside the shoppe. Whether upset or happy, it was unreadable. Arcadia raised a hoof quickly to silence them. "Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I will still be able to perform my duties firstly as is expected of me as Royalty of Psera, and as future Queen and previous Secretary. I'll just be pregnant while doing them. I hope all of you understand. I left Equestria to begin a new life and help the ponies' land whose toxin-filled clouds were breaching the air of Equestria. I successfully completed one of those goals. Now I'm ready for the second. To begin a new life with the pony I love the most... In the land I love most of all."